Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 123 of 128 · 57 verses
The Journey Home by Air
Permitted by Rama, the matchless chariot, drawn by swans, rises into the sky with a great sound. Casting his eyes all around, Rama says to moon-faced Sita: see Lanka, Vaidehi, built by Vishvakarman on the peak of Trikuta, like a peak of Kailasa. See this battlefield, muddy with flesh and blood, the great slaughter of monkeys and rakshasas, Sita. Here lies the destroyer, the lord of the rakshasas, who was given boons; for your sake, wide-eyed one, Ravana was killed by me. Here Kumbhakarna was killed, and the night-wanderer Prahasta; here Dhumraksha was killed by the monkey Hanuman; here Vidyunmali was killed by great Sushena; here Indrajit, son of Ravana, was killed by Lakshmana in battle; here the rakshasa named Vikata was killed by Angada, and Virupaksha, terrible to see, and Mahaparshva and Mahodara; Akampana was killed, and other mighty rakshasas, Trishiras and Atikaya, Devantaka and Narantaka, Yuddhonmatta and Matta, both foremost rakshasas, Nikumbha and Kumbha, mighty sons of Kumbhakarna, Vajradamshtra and Damshtra and many rakshasas; unassailable Makaraksha was felled by me in battle; Akampana was killed, and valiant Shonitaksha; Yupaksha and Prajangha were killed in the great battle; here the terrible rakshasa Vidyujjihva was killed, and Yajnashatru, and mighty Suptaghna, Suryashatru and another, Brahmashatru. Here his wife named Mandodari lamented him, surrounded by more than a thousand co-wives. There, lovely-faced one, is the crossing-place of the ocean where we spent the night after crossing. This bridge I built across the salt ocean for your sake, wide-eyed one, Nala’s bridge, very hard to make. See the ocean, Vaidehi, Varuna’s unshakeable home, roaring as if without end, full of conches and shells. See, Maithili, the golden mountain Hiranyanabha, which rose splitting the ocean so that Hanuman might rest. Here, in the bosom of the ocean, is the place where the army camped; here, long ago, the lord Mahadeva showed me his favour. This is seen as the holy crossing-place of the great ocean, famed as Setubandha, worshipped by the three worlds, supremely purifying, destroyer of great sins. Here Vibhishana, this king of the rakshasas, came to us. There, Sita, is Kishkindha with its bright forests, Sugriva’s lovely city, where I killed Vali.
Seeing Kishkindha, once ruled by Vali, Sita says humbly, shy with love: king, I wish to go to Ayodhya, the capital, with you, surrounded by Sugriva’s dear wives led by Tara and by the wives of the other monkey lords. Raghava agrees; reaching Kishkindha, he halts the chariot and tells Sugriva: tiger among monkeys, tell all the bulls among the monkeys to go to Ayodhya with their wives and Sita; and you too, mighty one, with all your women; hurry, Sugriva, let us go, lord of the leapers. Glorious Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, surrounded by them all, enters the inner palace quickly and, looking at Tara, says: dear, with Raghava’s leave, to please Maithili, hurry with the wives of the great monkeys; we will go and show them Ayodhya and all of Dasharatha’s women. Hearing Sugriva, Tara, lovely in every limb, calls all the monkeys’ wives: Sugriva has given us leave to go with all the monkeys; and it pleases me too to see Ayodhya, Rama’s entry with the people of the city and the country, and the splendour of all Dasharatha’s women. With Tara’s permission all the monkey women, having dressed according to custom and walked round the chariot, climb in, eager to see Sita. Seeing the chariot rise quickly with them, near Rishyamuka Raghava says to the Vaidehi again: there, Sita, like a cloud with lightning, is the great Rishyamuka, best of mountains, covered with golden minerals; here I met Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, and made a pact to kill Vali. There is Pampa, the lotus lake with its bright forests, where, parted from you, I lamented in great grief; on its shore I saw Shabari, who walked in dharma. Here I killed Kabandha, whose arms were a league long. There in Janasthana, Sita, is the glorious tree where mighty Jatayu, best of birds, of great radiance, was killed by Ravana for your sake, lovely one; where Khara was killed, and Dushana struck down, and mighty Trishiras, by my straight-flying arrows. There is our hermitage, fair one, and the bright leaf hut, lovely to see, from which you were carried off by force by Ravana, lord of the rakshasas. There is the lovely Godavari with its clear, auspicious water; there is Agastya’s hermitage, surrounded by plantains, and the shining hermitage of great Sutikshna; there, Vaidehi, is Sharabhanga’s great hermitage, which thousand-eyed Shakra Purandara visited. In this region I killed huge Viradha. There, slender-waisted queen, are the ascetics, where the head of the community, Atri, like the sun and fire, lives; here, Sita, you saw the ascetic woman who walks in dharma. There, lovely one, shines Chitrakuta, king of mountains, where Kaikeyi’s son came to win my favour. There is the lovely Yamuna with its bright forests, and there, Maithili, is Bharadvaja’s glorious hermitage. And there is the holy Ganga, the river of three paths, crowded with many kinds of birds, its forests in full flower. This is Shringaverapura, where my friend Guha lives. There, Sita, is the Sarayu, garlanded with sacrificial posts. There, Sita, is my father’s capital: Vaidehi, you have come back; bow to Ayodhya. Then all the monkeys and rakshasas with Vibhishana, springing up again and again in delight, gaze at the city; the leapers and rakshasas see that city, garlanded with white mansions, with wide courtyards, full of elephants and horses, like Amaravati, the city of great Indra.
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अनुज्ञातं तु रामेण तद् विमानमनुत्तमम् । हंसयुक्तं महानादमुत्पपात विहायसम् ॥ १ ॥
Permitted by Rama, that matchless aerial chariot, yoked with swans, with a great sound, flew up into the sky.
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The Journey Home by Air 1 min read.
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पातयित्वा ततश्चक्षुः सर्वतो रघुनन्दनः । अब्रवीन्मैथिलीं सीतां रामः शशिनिभाननाम् ॥ २ ॥
Then, casting his eyes on every side, the delight of the Raghus, Rama, said to Maithili Sita, whose face was like the moon:
कैलासशिखराकारे त्रिकूटशिखरे स्थिताम् । लङ्कामीक्षस्व वैदेहि निर्मितां विश्वकर्मणा ॥ ३ ॥
“Look at Lanka, Vaidehi, standing on the peak of Trikuta, shaped like a peak of Kailasa, built by Vishvakarman.
एतदायोधनं पश्य मांसशोणितकर्दमम् । हरीणां राक्षसानां च सीते विशसनं महत् ॥ ४ ॥
“See this battlefield, muddy with flesh and blood, the great slaughter of monkeys and rakshasas, Sita.
एष दत्तवरः शेते प्रमाथी राक्षसेश्वरः । तव हेतोर्विशालाक्षि निहतो रावणो मया ॥ ५ ॥
“Here lies the destroyer, the lord of the rakshasas, who was given boons; for your sake, wide-eyed one, Ravana was killed by me.
कुम्भकर्णोऽत्र निहतः प्रहस्तश्च निशाचरः । धूम्राक्षश्चात्र निहतो वानरेण हनूमता ॥ ६ ॥
“Here Kumbhakarna was killed, and the night-wanderer Prahasta; and here Dhumraksha was killed by the monkey Hanuman.
विद्युन्माली हतश्चात्र सुषेणेन महात्मना । लक्ष्मणेनेन्द्रजिच्चात्र रावणिर्निहतो रणे ॥ ७ ॥
“And here Vidyunmali was killed by great-souled Sushena; and here Indrajit, son of Ravana, was killed by Lakshmana in battle.
अङ्गदेनात्र निहतो विकटो नाम राक्षसः । विरूपाक्षश्च दुष्प्रेक्षो महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ ८ ॥
“Here the rakshasa named Vikata was killed by Angada, and Virupaksha, terrible to look at, and Mahaparshva and Mahodara;
अकम्पनश्च निहतो बलिनोऽन्ये च राक्षसाः । त्रिशिराश्चातिकायश्च देवान्तकनरान्तकौ ॥ ९ ॥
“and Akampana was killed, and other mighty rakshasas, Trishiras and Atikaya, Devantaka and Narantaka,
युद्धोन्मत्तश्च मत्तश्च राक्षसप्रवरावुभौ । निकुम्भश्चैव कुम्भश्च कुम्भकर्णात्मजौ बली ॥ १० ॥
“Yuddhonmatta and Matta, both foremost rakshasas, Nikumbha and Kumbha, the mighty sons of Kumbhakarna,
वज्रदंष्ट्रश्च दंष्ट्रश्च बहवो राक्षसा हताः । मकराक्षश्च दुर्धर्षो मया युधि निपातितः ॥ ११ ॥
“Vajradamshtra and Damshtra: many rakshasas were killed; and unassailable Makaraksha was felled by me in battle.
अकम्पनश्च निहतः शोणिताक्षश्च वीर्यवान् । यूपाक्षश्च प्रजङ्घश्च निहतौ तु महाहवे ॥ १२ ॥
“And Akampana was killed, and valiant Shonitaksha; and Yupaksha and Prajangha were killed in the great battle.
विद्युज्जिह्वोऽत्र निहतो राक्षसो भीमदर्शनः । यज्ञशत्रुश्च निहतः सुप्तघ्नश्च महाबलः ॥ १३ ॥
“Here the rakshasa Vidyujjihva, terrible to see, was killed, and Yajnashatru was killed, and very mighty Suptaghna,
सूर्यशत्रुश्च निहतो ब्रह्मशत्रुस्तथापरः । अत्र मन्दोदरी नाम भार्या तं पर्यदेवयत् ॥ १४ ॥
“and Suryashatru was killed, and likewise another, Brahmashatru. Here the wife named Mandodari lamented him,
सपत्नीनां सहस्रेण साग्रेण परिवारिता । एतत् तु दृश्यते तीर्थं समुद्रस्य वरानने ॥ १५ ॥
“surrounded by a thousand and more co-wives. And there is seen the crossing-place of the ocean, lovely-faced one,
यत्र सागरमुत्तीर्य तां रात्रिमुषिता वयम् । एष सेतुर्मया बद्धः सागरे लवणार्णवे ॥ १६ ॥
“where, having crossed the ocean, we spent that night. This bridge was built by me across the ocean, the salt sea,
तव हेतोर्विशालाक्षि नलसेतुः सुदुष्करः । पश्य सागरमक्षोभ्यं वैदेहि वरुणालयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“for your sake, wide-eyed one: Nala’s bridge, very hard to make. See the unshakeable ocean, Vaidehi, the abode of Varuna,
अपारमिव गर्जन्तं शङ्खशुक्तिसमाकुलम् । हिरण्यनाभं शैलेन्द्रं काञ्चनं पश्य मैथिलि ॥ १८ ॥
“roaring as if without end, crowded with conches and shells. See the golden king of mountains, Hiranyanabha, Maithili,
विश्रमार्थं हनुमतो भित्त्वा सागरमुत्थितम् । एतत् कुक्षौ समुद्रस्य स्कन्धावारनिवेशनम् ॥ १९ ॥
“risen up, splitting the ocean, for Hanuman’s rest. Here, in the bosom of the ocean, is the place of the army’s camp.
अत्र पूर्वं महादेवः प्रसादमकरोद् विभुः । एतत् तु दृश्यते तीर्थं सागरस्य महात्मनः ॥ २० ॥
“Here, long ago, the lord Mahadeva showed favour. And here is seen the crossing-place of the great-souled ocean,
सेतुबन्ध इति ख्यातं त्रैलोक्येन च पूजितम् । एतत् पवित्रं परमं महापातकनाशनम् ॥ २१ ॥
“famed as Setubandha, worshipped by the three worlds, supremely purifying, destroyer of great sins.
अत्र राक्षसराजोऽयमाजगाम विभीषणः । एषा सा दृश्यते सीते किष्किन्धा चित्रकानना ॥ २२ ॥
“Here this king of the rakshasas, Vibhishana, came. There is seen, Sita, Kishkindha with its bright forests,
सुग्रीवस्य पुरी रम्या यत्र वाली मया हतः । अथ दृष्ट्वा पुरीं सीता किष्किन्धां वालिपालिताम् ॥ २३ ॥
“the lovely city of Sugriva, where Vali was killed by me.” Then, seeing the city Kishkindha, ruled by Vali, Sita
अब्रवीत् प्रश्रितं वाक्यं रामं प्रणयसाध्वसा । सुग्रीवप्रियभार्याभिस्ताराप्रमुखतो नृप ॥ २४ ॥
said modest words to Rama, shy with love: “King, surrounded by the dear wives of Sugriva, led by Tara,
अन्येषां वानरेन्द्राणां स्त्रीभिः परिवृता ह्यहम् । गन्तुमिच्छे सहायोध्यां राजधानीं त्वया सह ॥ २५ ॥
“and by the wives of the other monkey lords, I wish to go with you to Ayodhya, the capital.”
एवमुक्तोऽथ वैदेह्या राघवः प्रत्युवाच ताम् । एवमस्त्विति किष्किन्धां प्राप्य संस्थाप्य राघवः ॥ २६ ॥
Spoken to so by the Vaidehi, Raghava replied to her: “So be it.” Reaching Kishkindha and halting the aerial chariot, Raghava,
विमानं प्रेक्ष्य सुग्रीवं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह । ब्रूहि वानरशार्दूल सर्वान् वानरपुङ्गवान् ॥ २७ ॥
looking at Sugriva, said these words: “Tell all the bulls among the monkeys, tiger among monkeys,
स्त्रीभिः परिवृताः सर्वे ह्ययोध्यां यान्तु सीतया । तथा त्वमपि सर्वाभिः स्त्रीभिः सह महाबल ॥ २८ ॥
“let them all go to Ayodhya surrounded by their wives, with Sita; and likewise you too, mighty one, with all your women.
अभित्वरय सुग्रीव गच्छामः प्लवगाधिप । एवमुक्तस्तु सुग्रीवो रामेणामिततेजसा ॥ २९ ॥
“Hurry, Sugriva; let us go, lord of the leapers.” Spoken to so by Rama of boundless energy, Sugriva,
वानराधिपतिः श्रीमांस्तैश्च सर्वैः समावृतः । प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं शीघ्रं तारामुद्वीक्ष्य सोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ३० ॥
the glorious lord of the monkeys, surrounded by all of them, entering the inner palace quickly, looking at Tara, said:
प्रिये त्वं सह नारीभिर्वानराणां महात्मनाम् । राघवेणाभ्यनुज्ञाता मैथिलीप्रियकाम्यया ॥ ३१ ॥
“Dear, you, with the women of the great-souled monkeys, have leave from Raghava, wishing to please Maithili.
त्वर त्वमभिगच्छामो गृह्य वानरयोषितः । अयोध्यां दर्शयिष्यामः सर्वा दशरथस्त्रियः ॥ ३२ ॥
“Hurry; taking the monkey women, let us go; we will show them Ayodhya and all the women of Dasharatha.”
सुग्रीवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तारा सर्वाङ्गशोभना । आहूय चाब्रवीत् सर्वा वानराणां तु योषितः ॥ ३३ ॥
Hearing Sugriva’s words, Tara, lovely in every limb, calling all the wives of the monkeys, said:
सुग्रीवेणाभ्यनुज्ञाता गन्तुं सर्वैश्च वानरैः । मम चापि प्रियं कार्यमयोध्यादर्शनेन च ॥ ३४ ॥
“We have leave from Sugriva to go with all the monkeys; and for me too it is pleasing, by the seeing of Ayodhya,
प्रवेशं चैव रामस्य पौरजानपदैः सह । विभूतिं चैव सर्वासां स्त्रीणां दशरथस्य च ॥ ३५ ॥
“and the entry of Rama with the people of the city and the country, and the splendour of all the women of Dasharatha.”
तारया चाभ्यनुज्ञाताः सर्वा वानरयोषितः । नेपथ्यविधिपूर्वं तु कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ ३६ ॥
Permitted by Tara, all the monkey women, having dressed according to custom and walked round it,
अध्यारोहन् विमानं तत् सीतादर्शनकाङ्क्षया । ताभिः सहोत्थितं शीघ्रं विमानं प्रेक्ष्य राघवः ॥ ३७ ॥
climbed into that aerial chariot, eager to see Sita. Seeing the aerial chariot rise quickly with them, Raghava,
ऋष्यमूकसमीपे तु वैदेहीं पुनरब्रवीत् । दृश्यतेऽसौ महान् सीते सविद्युदिव तोयदः ॥ ३८ ॥
near Rishyamuka, said again to the Vaidehi: “There is seen, Sita, the great one, like a cloud with lightning,
ऋष्यमूको गिरिवरः काञ्चनैर्धातुभिर्वृतः । अत्राहं वानरेन्द्रेण सुग्रीवेण समागतः ॥ ३९ ॥
“Rishyamuka, best of mountains, covered with golden minerals; here I met Sugriva, lord of the monkeys,
समयश्च कृतः सीते वधार्थं वालिनो मया । एषा सा दृश्यते पम्पा नलिनी चित्रकानना ॥ ४० ॥
“and a pact was made by me, Sita, for the killing of Vali. There is seen Pampa, the lotus lake with bright forests,
त्वया विहीनो यत्राहं विललाप सुदुःखितः । अस्यास्तीरे मया दृष्टा शबरी धर्मचारिणी ॥ ४१ ॥
“where, parted from you, I lamented in great grief; on its shore I saw Shabari, who walked in dharma.
अत्र योजनबाहुश्च कबन्धो निहतो मया । दृश्यतेऽसौ जनस्थाने श्रीमान् सीते वनस्पतिः ॥ ४२ ॥
“Here Kabandha, with arms a league long, was killed by me. There is seen in Janasthana, Sita, the glorious tree,
जटायुश्च महातेजास्तव हेतोर्विलासिनि । रावणेन हतो यत्र पक्षिणां प्रवरो बली ॥ ४३ ॥
“where mighty Jatayu, of great radiance, best of birds, was killed by Ravana for your sake, playful one;
खरश्च निहतो यत्र दूषणश्च निपातितः । त्रिशिराश्च महावीर्यो मया बाणैरजिह्मगैः ॥ ४४ ॥
“where Khara was killed, and Dushana struck down, and very valiant Trishiras, by me with straight-flying arrows.
एतत् तदाश्रमपदमस्माकं वरवर्णिनि । पर्णशाला तथा चित्रा दृश्यते शुभदर्शने ॥ ४५ ॥
“This is our hermitage, fair-complexioned one, and the bright leaf hut is seen, lovely to see,
यत्र त्वं राक्षसेन्द्रेण रावणेन हृता बलात् । एषा गोदावरी रम्या प्रसन्नसलिला शुभा ॥ ४६ ॥
“where you were carried off by force by Ravana, lord of the rakshasas. There is the lovely Godavari, with clear water, auspicious,
अगस्त्यस्याश्रमश्चैव दृश्यते कदलीवृतः । दीप्तश्चैवाश्रमे ह्येष सुतीक्ष्णस्य महात्मनः ॥ ४७ ॥
“and Agastya’s hermitage is seen, surrounded by plantains; and here is the shining hermitage of great-souled Sutikshna.
दृश्यते चैव वैदेहि शरभङ्गाश्रमो महान् । उपयातः सहस्राक्षो यत्र शक्रः पुरंदरः ॥ ४८ ॥
“And there is seen, Vaidehi, the great hermitage of Sharabhanga, which the thousand-eyed Shakra Purandara visited.
अस्मिन् देशे महाकायो विराधो निहतो मया । एते ते तापसा देवि दृश्यन्ते तनुमध्यमे ॥ ४९ ॥
“In this region huge Viradha was killed by me. There, queen of slender waist, are seen the ascetics,
अत्रिः कुलपतिर्यत्र सूर्यवैश्वानरोपमः । अत्र सीते त्वया दृष्टा तापसी धर्मचारिणी ॥ ५० ॥
“where the head of the community, Atri, like the sun and fire, lives; here, Sita, the ascetic woman who walks in dharma was seen by you.
असौ सुतनु शैलेन्द्रश्चित्रकूटः प्रकाशते । अत्र मां कैकयीपुत्रः प्रसादयितुमागतः ॥ ५१ ॥
“There, lovely one, shines Chitrakuta, king of mountains, where Kaikeyi’s son came to win my favour.
एषा सा यमुना रम्या दृश्यते चित्रकानना । भरद्वाजाश्रमः श्रीमान् दृश्यते चैष मैथिलि ॥ ५२ ॥
“There is seen the lovely Yamuna with its bright forests; and there is seen Bharadvaja’s glorious hermitage, Maithili.
इयं च दृश्यते गङ्गा पुण्या त्रिपथगा नदी । नानाद्विजगणाकीर्णा सम्प्रपुष्पितकानना ॥ ५३ ॥
“And this is seen, the Ganga, the holy river of three paths, crowded with many kinds of birds, its forests in full flower.
शृङ्गवेरपुरं चैतद् गुहो यत्र सखा मम । एषा सा दृश्यते सीते सरयूर्यूपमालिनी ॥ ५४ ॥
“And this is Shringaverapura, where Guha, my friend, lives. There is seen, Sita, the Sarayu, garlanded with sacrificial posts.
एषा सा दृश्यते सीते राजधानी पितुर्मम । अयोध्यां कुरु वैदेहि प्रणामं पुनरागता ॥ ५५ ॥
“There is seen, Sita, my father’s capital. Bow to Ayodhya, Vaidehi, having come back.”
ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे राक्षसाः सविभीषणाः । उत्पत्योत्पत्य संहृष्टास्तां पुरीं ददृशुस्तदा ॥ ५६ ॥
Then all those monkeys and the rakshasas with Vibhishana, springing up again and again, delighted, gazed then at that city.
ततस्तु तां पाण्डुरहर्म्यमालिनीं विशालकक्ष्यां गजवाजिभिर्वृताम् । पुरीमपश्यन् प्लवगाः सराक्षसाः पुरीं महेन्द्रस्य यथामरावतीम् ॥ ५७ ॥
Then the leapers with the rakshasas saw that city, garlanded with white mansions, with wide courtyards, full of elephants and horses, like the city of great Indra, Amaravati.